Thanks to your questions, Good Faith listeners are the guests of this episode that’s meant to spark spiritual insights and challenge church norms.

From queries about navigating belief in a politically toxic climate to finding community after deconstruction, Curtis answers your questions with thoughtfulness, wisdom, and compassion. Whether you’re wrestling with faith, curious about theology, or just want to know what’s on Curtis’ playlist, this episode delivers the answers that inquiring minds wanted to know.

Curtis addresses:

• How can someone who has deconstructed find meaningful, Christ-centered community?
• What role should the church play when professed followers of Jesus undermine the gospel?
• What does it mean that God "removes kings and sets up kings"?
• How can we love fellow church members who politically diverge from us?
• Is The After Party project truly nonpartisan—and how was it funded?
• Will artificial intelligence reshape sermon preparation?
• What will life be like in the new heavens and new earth?

Plus: Curtis reveals his five favorite musical artists and the name of the song that opens every Good Faith episode.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Send Campfire Stories to: [email protected]

Resources or references mentioned in this episode:

• Patrick Schreiner: Recovering the Forgotten Doctrine of Christ’s Ascension
• N.T. Wright: the Ascension of Jesus and Heaven
• N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
• The Thin Places of Fantasy
• The Nicene Creed
• The Lord's Prayer
• Philippians 3:18-21 (New Living Translation)
• Foreign Aid Is Retreating. The Church Must Not
• Judge: Musk and Trump’s effort to disband USAID is likely unconstitutional
• Daniel 2:21 (English Standard Version)
• 33 Evil Kings of the Old Testament
• I Samuel 8 (Israel asks for a king) (New Living Translation)
• Explore The After Party with Russell Moore, David French, & Curtis Chang
• Answers to questions about The After Party
• Judah & the Lion’s Beautiful Anyway (official music video)
• Judah & the Lion’s website
• Wendell Kimborough’s website
• Sandra McCraken’s website
• Andrew Peterson’s website
• Dave Brubeck’s Time Out album (including Take Five)
• Dave Brubeck’s Fight Against Racism
• Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man
• Herbie Hancock’s Rockit

Enjoy this Spotofy playlist featuring the artists Curtis mentioned in this episode

Good Faith conversations mentioned in this episode:

• David French: Has America’s Role in the World Changed Forever? and Your Questions
• David French: Checks, Balances, and the New Trump Era
• Sandra McCracken: How Music Helps Us Make Sense of God's World 
• Advent with Friends: Andrew Peterson and The Way of Love
• Andy Crouch: How to Listen to Music
• Andy Crouch: Do We Need a Worship Music Reformation?

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How can we stay grounded in an anxious political climate?

Leadership anxiety expert Steve Cuss joins the Good Faith Podcast to help us navigate Trump’s turbulent second term without becoming overwhelmed. We explore how chronic anxiety spreads through reactivity, why political leaders and their followers often amplify fear through straw man arguments, and how we can break free from the cycle. Drawing from his experience as a trauma chaplain and beyond, Steve shares practical tools for maintaining spiritual and emotional balance. If political division is making your mind race, heart pound, or body tense, Steve offers wisdom and encouragement to help you find calm and clarity in the chaos.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Send Campfire Stories to: [email protected]

Resources or references mentioned in this episode:

• Frederick Buechner’s Whistling in the Dark
• The Evangelical vote in 2024
• The Los Angeles Times: Is Donald Trump a new King David?
• “Remember the Lord” from Proverbs 3:6-16 GNT
• Jacob’s assurance from Genesis 28 NLT 
• Jesus’ trial before Pilate John 18:28-40 NLT
• Paul’s trials before Festus and Felix Acts 24-26 NLT
• Jesus calls Herod a “fox” Luke 13:31-32 NLT
• Freedom to love others Galatians 5:13
• More about Gregory Boyle

More From Steve Cuss:

• Steve’s podcast Being Human
• Steve’s book Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs
• Steve’s book The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God
• Steve’s website (free access to the Life Giving List and Conscious List of Relationships)

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Radical shifts in the United States are sending shockwaves abroad.

Host Curtis Chang welcomes back “founding friend” David French to examine how Trump’s foreign policy is reshaping America’s global standing. From strained alliances with Canada to shifting U.S. support for Ukraine, and the dismantling of USAID, David and Curtis explore whether the nation has abandoned its long-standing commitment to liberal democracy. Drawing from scripture, historical Christianity, and even the Declaration of Independence, they discuss the deeper implications of the current moment for America's national character and global trust.

Don’t miss the second half of this episode, where David French answers listener questions!

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Send Campfire Stories to: [email protected]

Resources or references mentioned in this episode:

• The Truth About Fentanyl at the Canada-US Border
• Tariffs on Canada
• Colossians 1:15-17 (New Living Translation)
• The Declaration of Independence
• Michael Gerson's role in PEPFAR
• George W. Bush’s 2023 Op-Ed about the need for PEPFAR
• George W. Bush’s White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives
• The Evangelical vote in 2024
• Listen to David’s NYT conversation with Jessica Riedl about DOGE and the deficit
• Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance
• Jake Meador’s Mere Orthodoxy article The Doom of Choice
• Jake Meador’s Mere Orthodoxy article Tolkien's Holy Fools
• Explore The After Party with Russell Moore, David French, & Curtis Chang

More From David French:

• David French’s New York Times pieces HERE
• Follow David French on Threads

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Everyone wants love and community in a fractured world. What happens when they are lost?

Host Curtis Chang and Pete Wehner, a columnist for The Atlantic and former White House staffer, explore the deep sense of political, cultural, and spiritual exile felt by many Americans. Reflecting on Pete’s journey from shaping policy during 9/11 to breaking from the Republican Party over Donald Trump, they discuss the challenges of shifting identities while staying true to one’s convictions. Drawing from the Psalms, cognitive psychology, and Christian history, they offer a vision for engaging culture and finding new purpose amid political disillusionment and feelings of living in exile, even in the place you call home.

This episode revisits a past conversation to examine cognitive dissonance and the pursuit of truth in times of uncertainty.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Get a 25% discount when you buy The Art of Disagreeing by Gavin Ortland at thegoodbook.com with code: GOODFAITH

Resources From This Episode:

• Psalm 126 (New Living Translation)
• Winston Churchill’s Painting as a Pastime
• A Short History Of The Dardanelles Campaign
• The GOP and the Birther Trap (article) by Pete Wehner
• Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
• Jonathan Rauch’s The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth
• Jeremiah 29 (New Living Translation)
• Makoto Fujimura’s Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life 
• Mark Labberton’s talk: The Deep Work of a New Creation
• Mark Labberton’s talk: Beauty in Exile
• Rodney Stark (books)
• Russell Moore clip: “Jesus is a hood ornament”
• 2 Corinthians 5 New Living Translation

More From Pete Wehner:

• Read Peter Wehner’s latest article: MAGA Has Found a New Model
• Peter Wehner’s The Atlantic opinion pieces
• Peter Wehner at The Trinity Forum

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Good Faith inspires a campus pastor to create a more meaningful worship experience that drills down hope and gratitude by asking three simple questions.

Good Faith's series of Campfire Stories, invites listeners to share how the podcast has inspired them to engage deeply with their families and communities. These personal narratives illuminate how individuals like you are grappling with complex issues and fostering meaning right where they live. Join us for Mike's Campfire Story.

Send your Campfire Stories to: [email protected]

What is the hidden influence of Christianity in American society—and what happens if it disappears?

Host Curtis Chang sits down with Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and author of Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy, to explore how Judeo-Christian values have shaped democracy and what their decline means for our political and social landscape. They discuss the rise of fear within the evangelical church, political polarization, and make the case for Christian virtues as a stabilizing force at the heart of the American republic. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, it’s important to understand why Christianity’s influence extends far beyond the church—and why its disappearance could reshape the future of democracy.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Get a 25% discount when you buy The Art of Disagreeing by Gavin Ortland at thegoodbook.com with code: GOODFAITH

Resources from this episode:

• Jonathan Rauch’s 2003 The Atlantic article Let It Be
• Jonathan Rauch’s Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy
• The rise of the AfD in Germany
• France holds off the far right
• Pew Research: Modeling the Future of Religion in America
• James Madison and religious freedom
• Can the Religious Right Be Saved? by Dr. Russell Moore
• Dr. Timothy Keller: Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?
• Learn more about The After Party

More From Jonathan Rauch:

• Read the latest article by Jonathan Rauch: One Word Describes Trump
• Jonathan Rauch’s The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth
• Jonathan Rauch’s work at the Brookings Institute
• Jonathan Rauch’s The Atlantic articles

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Move From toxicity to trust, healing, and renewed faith.

Host Curtis Chang and Mike Cosper, creator of "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill" investigate the unsettling realities of church abuse and the unchecked authority that breeds toxicity within faith communities. Drawing from his latest book, "The Church in Dark Times," Cosper discusses the urgent need for accountability in evangelical settings, using the Mars Hill case as a poignant example. Curtis and Mike explore the intersection of leadership and emotional and spiritual abuse to help us all discover pathways to healing and rebuilding trust in the aftermath of betrayal. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the dynamics of power and the importance of safeguarding church values.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Get a 25% discount when you buy The Art of Disagreeing by Gavin Ortland at thegoodbook.com with code: GOODFAITH

Resources from this episode:

• Mike Cosper’s The Church in Dark Times
• Listen to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill
• Paul Petry’s Joyful Exiles blog
• Mike Cosper’s Land of My Sojourn
• Learn more about Hannah Arendt
• Hannah Arendt on Adolf Eichmann for the New Yorker: part 1 & part 2
• Kant's Argument for Radical Evil by Stephen R. Grimm (pdf)
• Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism
• Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: Don't Despair, God Isolates You for a Reason
• Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: How to Deal With Dark Times
• Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: Counter-Culture for the Common Good

More From Mike Cosper:

• Books by Mike Cosper HERE
• Listen to Mike on The Bulletin
• Listen to Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
• Follow Mike’s Instagram

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What do true faith and forgiveness look like in the face of wrongful conviction? 

Host Curtis Chang is joined by award-winning journalist Barbara Bradley Hagerty and Ben Spencer, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 34 years. They share Ben’s powerful story of faith, resilience, and redemption in the face of wrongful incarceration. Curtis and Barbara explore the systemic failures of the American justice system and reveal how the innocence movement and investigative journalism were crucial in securing Ben’s exoneration. Ben reflects on how his belief in truth and forgiveness transformed his life, offering hope to others facing adversity.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Send Campfire Stories to: [email protected]

Resources from this episode:

• Barbara Bradley Hagerty’s Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, a Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice
• Jim McCloskey and Centurion Ministries
• Read about Ben at The National registry of Exonerations
• Read the news of Ben's exoneration
• Listen to Barbara’s early reporting on Ben's case
• Read about Judge Rick Magnis’ belief in Ben's innocence
• Read about Ross Perot’s secret witness payout
• Read John 16:33

More From Barbara Bradley Hagerty:

• Read Barbara’s work in The Atlantic
• Check out Barb's website
• Buy Babara’s books

Contact Ben Spencer & Barbara Bradley Hagerty about speaking engagements: https://www.barbarabradleyhagerty.com/contact

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What Is the Faithful Response to Rising Authoritarianism?

New York Times columnist and “founding friend” David French joins host Curtis Chang to explore the shifting dynamics of American governance under the Trump administration. They explore the growing concentration of executive power and the MAGA-driven erosion of the checks and balances envisioned by the Founders. Curtis and David also discuss the weakening influence of both the legislative and judicial branches, while reflecting on the crucial role of strong family ties, community, and inspired worship for Christians confronting rising authoritarianism.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: [email protected]

Send Campfire Stories to: [email protected]

Resources or references mentioned in this episode:

• What is DOGE?
• Limiting DOGE’s access and reach
• 1787 Constitution
• I Kings 19:9-18 (Elijah and God’s promise to spare those who do not bend knee to Baal)
• The executive branch taking power from the legislative branch
• Carl Scmidt's Friend-Enemy Distinction
• Media and allies fear Kash Patel's retribution
• Pew Research: How the faithful voted
• The psychology of Trumpism identity fusion
• Can the Insurrection Act be used on American soil?
• Trump supporters trust him more than family & friends
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Praising God is an act of political defiance
• Worship and the Civil Rights Movement

Explore The After Party with Russell Moore, David French, & Curtis Chang

More From David French:

• Read David French’s opinion pieces HERE
• Follow David French on Threads

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